Box marking appliance



Sept. 25, 1934. R v, WAUGHTEL ET AL 1,974,634

Box MARKING APPLIANCE Filed July 10,*1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l +4 3 j? /7L /J f7/4 ATTORNEYS. I

Sept' 25, 1934 R. v. wAuGHTl-:L ET Al. 1,974,634

BOX MARKING APPLIANCE Filed July 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 25, 1934 non MARKING APPLIANCE i RoyVel/VaughtelA and Ray A. McDermont, Riverside, Calif.

Tnislinventien rentes 'generenygte appliances 1s. 4Likewise its exis 1s substantially at right T01 the marking" `0`f kiOXeS, Grat/es" or the like, with numbers `or like designatingoharacters forfutu're M 'ideritificatio'n.y Appliances of thischaracter'are i5 particularly useful in packing housesor other plants Where'various articles arebeing packed in boXes'orcrates'for 'distribution tothe trade.'

Itis an object ofthe inventiontofprovidefan appliance of theebove eheraeter'whienwiu be `i1`0 relatively `simple construction. and convenient tooperate. p p Afurtherobject ofthe invention is to provide a marking appliance whiohcanbe used in oonjunction with a conveyorormachine handling 515 boxes'or'cratesand which canbe readily adjust-V e'dto ,secure 'diierent "kinds of markings which may be required. p f

Further objects of r"the invention will appear "from'the following'descriptionin 'which the pre- `20 ierred embodiment of `the invefntionha's been set "forth Lin [detail in conjunction 'with the accompanying'drawings. Y

Referring'tothedrawitigs: Figure 1 is-a side `je'levationalvievvillustrating a box marking applianceincorporating the present'invention. Y y

Fig.'2 is across sectional detail taken along the une 2 2 einig. 1. n y p 1 Fig. 3 is a ross sectional" detail taken along the 5 `attachment of this standard toanother structure,

`such Aas `aj conveyor-yor a boxhandling maehinej the lower portionofvthe standar-deis shown provided with apertured portions rllsfor receiving clampin'gibolts.` upright"shaft` z'12is disposed angles to the axis of shaft 12.

Extending thru tubular shaft 1-"4 thereis aro'd 16, one'end of which is provided with aknob f7 to facilitate manual turning 'of th'esarne.'l Removably secured to the outer end of rod'l'there is a `cylindrical shaped body A18, which carries Ja printing stamp `19. This stamp oanb'em'adefof 'suitable material, Such as soft vulcanized rubber, and is provided with aplurality of"spaced'num- 65 bers or letters about its periphery. Itj'is frequently desirable'to mark a box` Witha"number,"`and alsoiwith letters or Words designating-the type of article being packed. Thus removably Amounted upon tubular shaft 1'4, there-is a-l sleeve 21',`c'arry ing a separate printing stamp 22.

Detentfmeansis preferably interposed'between rod 16 andshaft 14, toretain rod `16 in any one of aA number" of' desired positions depending'upon the 'positien desired for stamp 19. Thus sleeve f5 21 is ishown'provided with la bore =33Withinwhich a plunger 34 is slidably fitted. Sprirrg''urg'es plunger y`34: againstI one end face of the 4body 18, which is provided with `spaced indentations, -w1th1nwh1ch the end-,of pnmgerae may engage. 80 Actuation ofthe appliance isiby virtue of turn` Aing movement imparted` to `the shaft '172. 'While Avarious 4forms of actuating mechanismcan be employed, as for example hand operated levers or the like, the mechanisniillustrated in Fig. "1 consists of a pixfot'edfootl lever j3'l Whichcanbe mounted upon the noci'. lJournaled within *the 'lower portion f standardlZfthereis a-shaft 438 `extending T'substantially at right Aangles tto 'the `shaft` 12, and this shaft lhas adriveconne'tion Withshaft r1'2`thru the bevligeas3`9 and 41;` A crank 42 Lis fixed to shaft 38, and this crank is "connected to the `footlever 37thrulink 43.

Suitable spring means isemployed kfor urging :shaft 12 to rotate in; one directiomor for vurging fi'oot iever"3"7` towards an ,elevated released position. "Thus surrounding `shaft 12 thereis a" helif cfoidal -spring 44, lone `end of which issecured to shaft 12,and the other end of 'whihis 'secured -t'o the standard *'10 as indicated at -46 in Li'ig."6`. 100

"against spring 44 thru :an angleof substantially j9' 0 degrees. When the `foot leverifl is released `it immediately returns to an elevated position, :and shaftj12 rotates'back to its initialpo'sition `u'ifiderfthe tension o fspring 44.

`When footlever 37 is depressed to rotate shaft 11`2th'ru substantially 90 degrees, it is evidentl that Is'lfiaft 1f4is swungithru a similar angleso that `-the `printing stamp L19, "and also "stamp 22, are

swung from a non-printing position to a position in contact with one face of the box to be marked. To facilitate an automatic inking operation, as will be presently explained, it is desirable to cause shaft 14 to rotate about its axis, simultaneously with its swinging movement. Thus mounted upon the upper end of the support standard 10 there is a bevel gear 48, the teeth of which vare engaged by the teeth of a bevel pinion 49. This pinion is in turn fixed to shaft 14, so that as this shaft swings about the axis of shaft 12, it is simultaneously rotated.

The means provided to effect automatic inking can be explained by reference to Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive. Mounted upon the upper portion of support standard 10, there is a bracket 5l formedto afford a hood-shaped portion 52. Disposed within the hood-shaped portion 52 there is a roller 53, which is squared or otherwise formed to afford flat sides. The ends of roller 53 carry stud shafts 54 and 56 which are suitably journaled within bracket 51. A knob 57 is secured to the stud shaft 54for manual turning of the roller. Suitable/detent means servesto retain roller 53 in any one of a number of adjusted positions. Thus as shown in Fig. 4, detent means may beformed by a spring finger 58 which presses upon the flattened sides of the roller. The outer surface of the roller 53 is covered with a suitable absorbent pad 59 which can be saturated with ink.

Fig. 7 illustrates the manner in which the appliance can be utilized in conjunction with a conveyor .61. In this case the support standard 10 is secured to one of the side rails 62 of the conveyor, with the-foot lever 37 mounted upon the fioor or at any other suitable operating position. It will benoted that the arrangement is such that when the foot lever is released shaft 14, together with the printingstamps 19 and 22, isswung to an out of the way position, to one side of the path'of movement of boxes along the conveyor.

Operation of our appliance is as followss-It will be presumed that stamp 19 contains various circumferentially. spaced lOtnumbers and that the letters on stamp 22 designate the type of articles within the boxes. By turning knob 17, the operator adjusts the position of stamp 19, in

vorder to impress the number desiredY upon the box. In this connection knob 17, together with the adjacent portionof the head 13, can be provided with suitable indicia, to apprise the operator of the position desired.. Referring now to Fig. 7, and assuming that a box 64 has been moved to a proper position for marking, the operator forces foot lever 37 downwardly, thus causing shaft 14 to swing over the conveyor towards the end face of the box. At the same time shaft 14 is rotated thru an angle of substantially 180 degrees, so that stamp 22 and also the selected number upon stamp 19, which werevpreviously in engagement with the-inking pad. 59, are brought into proper printing engagement with the box. It is evident in this connection that 4lever 37 should be operated with sufficient force to bring fthestamps intov contact with thebox with proper impact, to insure a good impression.. Following the making of anfimpression upon the box the v operator releases foot lever 37, and then shaft 14 immediately swings back thru 90 degrees, until the stamps 22 and 19 engage the inking pad 59. The box which has Ybeen printed Ais then permitted to pass along the conveyor, and` anew box brought into a printing position. From time to time knob 57 may berotated tobrng a freshly inked pad surface into contact with the stamps, thus insuring a long period of operation without the necessity of renewing the ink pad.

We claim:

1. In a box marking appliance, a supporting standard, a shaft journaled with respect to said standard, a head secured to one end of said shaft and adapted to rotate therewith, means forming a xed stop adapted to limit rotation of said shaft in one direction, spring means tending to urge said shaft to rotate in a direction towards said stop, a second shaft having one end portion thereof journaled to said head, said second shaft extending outwardly with respect to the standard substantially at lright angles with respect to the axis of the rst shaft, a printing stamp carried by the outer end portion of said second shaft, actuating means for rotating said rst shaft whereby said second shaft can be swung thru an angle of substantially degrees, and means acting between said second shaft and said support for turning said second shaft simultaneously with swinging movement of the same.

2. In a box marking appliance, a support, a shaft journaled with respect to said support, a head secured to one end of said shaft and adapted to rotate therewith, a second tubular shaft having one end portion thereof journaled with respect to said head, said second shaft extending outwardly with respect to said support, a rod extending thru said second mentioned shaft and rotatable with respect thereto, a printing stamp carried by one end of said rod, detent means acting between said second shaft and said rod for retaining the rod in any one of a number of adjusted positions with respect to said second shaft, actuating means for effecting rotation of said first shaft whereby the. second shaft is swung through yan angle of at least 90 degrees, and means acting between said second shaft and said support for effecting rotation of said second shaft simultaneously with said swinging movements.

3. In a box marking appliance, an upright supporting standard, a head disposed upon the upper end of said standard, a shaft journaled within said standard and having its upper'end secured to said head, stop means serving to limit rotation of said shaft in one direction, spring means for urging said shaft to rotate in the direction of said stop, actuating means for rotating said shaft in a direction away from said stop, a second tubular shaft having one end portion thereof jouroaled to said head, said second shaft extending laterally from said head cantilever-like, a rod extending thru said second shaft and rotatable second shaft and said rod serving to retain said.

rod in any one of a number of adjusted positions with respect to said second shaft, a second printing stamp mounted upon the outer end portion of said second tubular shaft, and means acting between said second shaft and said standard for causing' rotation Yof said second shaft about its axis upon rotation of said first shaft;

4. In a box marking appliance, a-supporting standard,a shaft journaled to said standard, a head-secured to one end of said shaft, a second shaft 'having one end portion thereof journaled to said head, said second shaft extending outwardly cantilever-like with respect to said standard and being substantially at right angleswith respect to the axis of the first shaft, a printing stamp carried by the outer end portion of said second shaft, actuating means for rotating said rst shaft whereby said second shaft is caused to swing about the axis of the first shaft, spring means urging said first shaft to rotate in one direction, a bracket secured to said standard and extending outwardly therefrom, a roller secured to said bracket and capable of angular adjustment, a printing pad secured to the outer surface of the roller and adapted to be engaged byY said stamp, and means acting between said second shaft and said standard for rotating the second shaft simultaneously with swinging movement thereof.

5. In a box marking appliance, a supporting standard, a shaft journaled with respect to said standard, a head :fixed to one end of said shaft, a

second shaft having one end portion thereof journaled with respect to said head, said second shaft extending outwardly from said standard substantially at right angles to the axis of said first shaft, cantilever like, a printing stamp carried by the second shaft, means acting between said second shaft and said standard serving to cause rotation of said second shaft simultaneously with rotation of said first shaft to swing the second shaft, a bracket extending outwardly from said standard, an inking pad carried by said bracket and adapted to be engaged by said printing stamp, and means for normally' biasing said first shaft to rotate in a direction to urge the printing stamp into engagement with the inking pad.

ROY V. WAUGHTEL.

RAY A. MCDERMONT. 

